Brewers star Isaac Collins' Rookie of the Year chase took a major hit Thursday

Isaac Collins is having a great rookie season with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 27-year-old corner outfielder is hitting a robust .290/.393/.432 in just over 300 plate appearances this season, good for a 138 wRC+ that ranks first on the team among players with at least 100 at-bats.

He's walking at an impressive 12.9% rate, is on pace to hit double-digit home runs and steals, and has supplied a healthy eight Outs Above Average (OAA) in left field this season. In other words, he's been doing everything well on the diamond.

Unfortunately, the Rookie of the Year race isn't just about what a player is or isn't doing. It's relative to how other rookies in the senior circuit are performing. And Braves rookie catcher Drake Baldwin is performing extraordinarily well this season.

Drake Baldwin puts Isaac Collins on notice in NL Rookie of the Year race

In his Thursday night game against the Miami Marlins on August 7, Baldwin stepped to the plate five times. He made the most of those opportunities, notching five RBI and three hits, including a pair of impressive home runs.

Now, in fairness to Baldwin, the Braves' catcher has been hyped up for quite some time, and he's been good enough this season to push former All-Star Sean Murphy into a part-time role.

Baldwin, a graduate of Madison West High School, is slashing .287/.356/.484, good for a 136 wRC+ that would rank second among all catchers in baseball this season if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. He's nearly doubled Collins' home run total, sitting at 13 after his latest explosion, and his five Defensive Runs Saved behind the plate match what Collins has done in left field this season.

As such, the NL Rookie of the Year race will likely come down to the wire. The latest odds (according to BetMGM) have Baldwin in front by a small margin over Collins, who has a pretty healthy lead for second place over Marlins rookie Augustín Ramírez.

The Brewers are actually very well represented on that list, with All-Star Jacob Misiorowski coming in tied for fourth with Cubs rookie Cade Horton and Caleb Durbin possessing the eighth-shortest odds to win the award.

However, if any Brewer is going to take home the hardware, it’s Collins. Miz's candidacy will take a huge hit during his stay on the injured list, and Durbin's five home runs and 105 wRC+ aren't flashy enough to grab the attention of most voters.

For Collins to usurp Baldwin in the polls, it'll take a few offensive explosions of his own from the Brewers' star rookie.